


Understanding

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Red Hood!Dick AU [11]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 03:06:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4288374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Robins were her family, and she'd be damned if she let anyone take them from her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Understanding

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t think Cass would be completely accepting of Dick’s murdering, but I think she’s smart enough to understand his reasoning? Especially when he puts it the way he did. Cass will later be in the middle man between Dick and Bruce, probably. I probably never get her character right, I wish I knew more about her, I’m sorry D:

For all her stealth, she wasn’t that hard to find. She stalked the same shadows as Bruce, used the same methods – the same methods that Batman taught the first Robin, too. 

And even with her mask, he could tell she was annoyed, though whether it was because of his general existence and actions or the fact he found her so quickly…well, he could ask later. Maybe when she didn’t look like she was about to stab him in the throat. 

“Howdy.” He grinned, taking off his helmet, tossing it between them as a sign of trust. She didn’t respond. “Want me to cut straight to the chase, then?” 

Her stance changed. From defense to attack. 

“Look, you get it, right?” He asked quickly. “Why I did it? Why I do what I do right now?” 

Cassandra remained silent. 

“They weren’t safe there.” Dick muttered, almost pleading already. “Bruce was…he was killing them.” 

“My siblings. _My_ family.” Cassandra’s voice dripped with lethality. “Not yours.” 

“Technically _yes_ , mine.” Dick grinned, just a little. He loved being right. Because no matter how anyone spun it. The boys were his brothers. Stephanie at the very least was an ally, though he considered he a very good friend. Almost a little sister, too. “You too, you know.” 

“I am no one’s.” She spat. 

“Just as…as Tim is my brother.” Dick clarified. “You are my sister.” 

“I am no family to murderers.” She hissed. “Return them. Now.” 

Dick sighed. “Or what?” 

“I will take you _down_.” She promised. Before Dick could blink, there were four batarangs in her fingers. 

“You sound just like _him_.” Dick said cheerfully. “But can we slow down a second, Cassandra? Can I call you that?” 

“No.” She ordered. “No talking.” 

“Then can you listen?” Dick asked. “I won’t take long, I promise.” 

She paused, just for half a second, then: “One minute.” 

“I can do that.” Dick nodded. “Okay, Cassan- _Black Bat_. I know what they are to you, Jay, Timbo and Damian. Your brothers, right? And you love your brothers more than anything. And Steph, she’s your closest friend.” 

Stephanie being singled out seemed to strike a nerve. Or eased one. It was subtle, but Dick could see her arm lower slightly. 

“And…and you lost her once before, didn’t you?” Dick whispered. Cassandra’s masked eyes twitched towards his face. “And you were never able to get over that. Because you blamed yourself. You always wondered what you could have done. And even now that she’s back, even now that it turned out to be a complete ruse, that doesn’t make your grief weigh any less. It still hurts. It will _always_ hurt, somewhere deep down.” 

Dick watched as Cassandra’s shoulders dropped. And he wished, oh he _wished_ , that he could hold her. Just like he held the others during their nightmares and injuries and illnesses. Because, like it or not, she was still his sister. Legally, if by no other means. 

“So you made a promise to yourself, right?” Dick prompted. “That no matter what, no matter what you’re going through or what happens, you promised yourself you will always be there for her, that you will always push yourself past every limit you believe you have to keep her safe. No matter the cost.” 

And Cassandra couldn’t stop the tiny, breathed, “Yes.” 

“That’s what I’m doing, Cassandra.” Dick finished, already trying her first name once more. “That’s all I’m trying to do. Only this time it’s not just Stephanie. And this time, I’m not going to wait until they’ve all died at least once over.”

Her face scrunched. “Bruce…” 

“Is partly to blame. And I can’t trust him to protect them as much as they need to be.” Dick finished. “He shouldn’t have let them out there – shouldn’t have let _you_ out there, not if he loves you as much as he claims. But I had no control over that. I didn’t make Batgirl, I only made Robin. That’s my legacy. That’s my problem to fix.” 

“Not necessarily.” Cassandra pursed her lips, then shook her head. “Not…alone.” 

“I appreciate the offer, but no. You have enough on your plate, I refuse to add more to it.” Dick laughed lightly, resting his hands on his guns. He saw Cassandra eyeing them warily, though said nothing. “So, what do you say, Sis? We good?” 

“We…can be.” Cassandra stared blankly for a few more seconds – Dick thought she was still fixated on his weapons – when suddenly she smirked, almost playfully. “I want to…see them.” 

Dick straightened his posture, nodding as slowly as the matching grin spread across his face. He walked up to his helmet, propping his foot on top of it as he held his hand out to her. “That can be arranged.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Other Red Hood!Dick stories.](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/tagged/Redhood%21Dick+au)


End file.
